Vial holder



Feb. 17, 1959 v. H. ORTEGREN VIAL HOLDER Filed Sept. 6, 1956 F I G.

V/'cor H @Hegre/7 INVENTOR.

United Stats Patent O ramasse nonnen Victor H., rtegren,-Pleasant Hill, (Salim, gassignor tothe Unitetl States of :America as representetlliy thesecre- 'WO-glell'ltfe Y application septentbsrr6, 1ss;serm yNseossio'l ,weisheit/ernaast) rosanna-undermines, 'smeet-'(1932), sexes-t) l jcctsand advantages fof the-inventon-will'fbe evident Lfrom the following description taken in -connection with the attached drawing.

In the drawing, Fig. 11rrepresentsafthreeldimensional view of the holderjandsFig. 2 is-a plan view-of the holder in place in a vacuum llask. l

y `In laboratory `exp'errncreation it '-'is'^often 'desired to position a vial, test tube, 'or other vobject within fa'rlarger vessel. Acomnroninstanceis whereavial is 'tobefpositioned withnavacuum llask'cont'a'ining a'freezinginii'xture thus tomaintain `the contents of' the vial lat a lovvtem'perature. To achievesuch-an yend,-experimenters commonly employ equipment suchl as ring stands, extension clamps an'tlfthe vlike'. Such -equipmentlserves'the purpose 'ibut is generally "cumbersome, expensive, and 'iineilicientt` tThe equipment is not adapted for situations where the vial must be maintained below the mouth of the larger vessel.

The device of this invention surmounts all the disadvantages enumerated above as will be evident from the following description.

l'eferring to Fig. l, the holder includes a plate of sprlngy sheet material, such as spring plate 1 of thin spring metal, on which is mounted arm 2 which extends generally normal to the surface of spring plate 1.

At the end of arm 2 is fastened a generally U-shaped member 3 the arms 4 of which are arcuate. A bridging member, in the form of a wire loop 5, extends between arms 4 of said U-shaped member 3.

An object-'receiving receptacle in the form of a cylindrical coil 6 made of spring wire is mounted within said U-shaped member, being positioned between 'arms 4 thereof. The size of coil 6 is so chosen relative to the distance between arms 4 that it snugly lits therebetween. In placing the coil within the U-shaped member 3, the coil vis rotated so that wire of which the coil` is formed threads past loop 5 which thereby forms a bottom abutment for the coil. This threading arrangement permits rotation of the coil for adjusting the length of the coil .extending above the U-sh-aped member.

2,873,850 KVPtenterl Feb. 17, 1959 "ice .The :spring plate 1.is1squeezed between fthe ngersjto compress the edges'of thefplateltoward one another. The device is then-insertedwithin the. vessel which isjto'contamme-holder and vial and i'main'tains fa vertically-'slidable :snugr'fit'position'itherein:by the pressure 'of-the edges ofth'e plate lagainstthe inner 'walls of the vessel. Y

In vFig. v"2 is 4shown the -h'olde'r lin place withinvacuurn flask '7. It is kevidentrfrom this 'zgure that the holder is kept in'pl'ace by fthe-"pressure 'O'f'ltlie 1edges of springfpla'te 1 pressing againstitlre sides fof tlrerllasls "7. The holiler maintains a :sliding llt within 'flask 7 Aso that it'fc'an 'be moved with the lingers in a vertical 'direction 'without need 'for compressing the Eedges of plate -1. Thus the holder may be `adjusted 'to any desired :level withjn'ithe lla'sk. -For'fexampla v"as'fthe level of coolant within .a'sk 7 `4drops 'due `-to evaporation, it lis a simple rr'latter 'it'opus'h the holder further down '-into'tle''ask. .'-Io-Irelnove'ltheholder it is #only necessary to slide :zit up and "out r'of 'the a'sk.

The 7simple construction fof the holder of thisinvention makes'it very :easy rvto clean. y

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

-`1. A device for'holding "an objectwithina'vessel 'cornprising -a 'plate of 'springy 'sheet 'material adapted lto be compressed 'for insertion 'into fa 'vessel and being further adapted yto expand "upon release ofthe pressure and exert pressure 'against 'the inner wall 'of the vessel, ian arm monte'dlon said plate 'and extending igenelallylnormal'to the surface thereof, a generally Ushaped member'onsaid ar'rnh'avingits end adapted 'ifo bear tightly against that partr o`f the 'inner' wall' of 'the vessel which Y lies 'substantially directly 'opposite-to 'the'lp'ortion of the iii-mer wall `against which the said sprirlgy plate exerits pr'ess'ure whenlinserteil into the-vessel, and an object-receiving receptacle mounted within said Ushapedmember,isaid device being adapted tobe'received within a'vessel and to-maintainlits position vthereinby the pressure 'of'th'eplate against itheinner wall of the vessel while the end of -thesaidiU-'shapedrmember simultaneously "bears f tightly against the `substantially directly opposite inner Wall `fthejvessel.

2. vA'device for holdingan'obect withiniafvesselscomprising a plate of springy sheet material having edges adapted to be compressed for insertion .into a vessel and being further adapted to expand upon release of the pressure and exert pressure against the inner wall of the vessel, an arm mounted on said plate and extending generally normal to the surface thereof, a generally U-shaped member, at the end of said arm, having its end adapted to bear tightly against that part of the inner wall of the vessel which lies substantiallydirectly opposite to the portion of the inner wall against which the said springy plate exerts pressure when inserted into the vessel, a cylindrical coil mounted within said U-shaped member for receiving an object, and a bridging member extending between the arms of said U-shaped member adapted to form a bottom abutment for said coil, said device being adapted to be received within a Vessel and to maintain its position therein by the pressure of the edges of the plate against the inner wall of the vessel while the end of the said U-shaped member simultaneously bears tightly against the substantially directly opposite inner wall of the vessel. 4

3. A device for holding an object within a vessel cornprising a plate of springy sheet material having edges adapted to be compressed for insertion into a vessel and being further adapted to expand upon release of the pressure and exert pressure against the inner wall of the vessel, an arm mounted on said plate and extending generally normal to the surface thereof, a generally U-shaped member, at the end of said arm, having its end adapted to bear tightly against that part of the inner wall of the vessel which lies substantially directly opposite to the portion of the inner wall against which the said springy plate exerts pressure whennnserted into the vessel, a cylindrical coil of wire mounted between the arms of said Ufshaped member, said coil being adapted to 'receive an 0b ject,and a Wire loop extending between the arms of said U-shaped member and threaded through said coil to form -a bottom abutment for said coil, said threading arrangement permitting rotation of said coil to adjust the length of the coil extending above said U-shaped member, said device being adapted to be received within a vessel and to maintain its position therein-by pressure of the edges of the plate against the inner wall ofthe vessel while the end of the said U-shaped member simultaneously bears'tightly against the substantially directly opposite inner Wall of the vessel.

4. An apparatus comprising a vessel and an objectholding device removably mounted therein, said device comprising av plate of compressed springy Vsheet material engaging the inner wall of said vessel, an arm mounted on said plate and extending generally normal to, the surface thereof, a generally U-shaped member on said arm having its end bearing tightly against that part of the inner wall of the vessel which lies substantially directly opposite to the portion of the inner Wall vwhich is engaged by the said compressed springy plate, and an object-receiving receptacle mounted within said U-shaped member,

said device maintaining its position within the vessel by the pressure exerted by the said compressed plate against the v inner wall of the vessel which it is engaging while the end of the said U-shaped member simultaneously bears tightly against the substantially directly opposite inner wall of the vessel.

, member extending between the arms of said U-.shaped .member forming a bottomabutment for said coil, said device maintaining its position with the vessel by the pressure exerted by the compressed edges of the plate against the inner wall which theyare engaging while the end of the said U-shaped member simultaneously bears tightly against the substantially directly opposite inner wall of the vessel.

6. An apparatus `comprising a vessel and an ,objecti holding device removably mounted therein, said device comprising a plate having edges of compressed'sprihgy sheet material engaging the inner Wall of said vessel, an arm mounted on said plate and extending generally normal to the surface thereof, a generally U-shaped member, at the end of said arm, having its end bearingl tightly against that part of the innerwall of the vessel which lies substantially directly opposite to the portion of the inner wall whichV is engaged by the said compressed edges of thespringy plate, a cylindrical -coil of Wirefmounted between the arms of said U-shaped member for receiving an object, and a wire loop extending between the arms of said U-shaped member and threaded Ythrough said coil f forming abottom abutment for said coil, said threading 5. An apparatus comprising a vessel and an objectf holding device removably mounted therein, said device comprising a plate having edges of compressed springy sheet material engaging the inner Wall of said vessel, an arm mounted on said plate and extending generally normal to the surface thereof, a generally U-shaped member, at the end of said arm, having its end bearing tightly against that part of the inner wallof the vessel which lies substantially directly opposite to the portion of the inner wall which is engaged by the said compressed edges of the springy plate, a cylindrical coil mounted within said U-shaped member for receiving an object., and a bridging arrangement permitting rotation' of the coil to adjust the length of the coil extending above said U-shaped member, said device maintaining its position within the vessel by the pressure exerted by the compressed edges of the plate against the inner wall which they are engaging while the end of said U-shapedmember simultaneously bears tightly against the substantially directly opposite inner Wall of the vessel.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 978,295 Hooper Dec. 13, 1910 1,390,389 Rosenfeld Sept. 13, 1921 1,704,472 Grandjean Mar. 5, 1929 2,463,147 Bumbaugh Mar. 1, 1949 2,605,987 Brown et al Aug. 5, 1952 FOREIGNv PATENTS 38,410 Denmark Jan. 17, 192s 206,711 Great Britain Nov. 15, 1923 

